Award-winning technology is helping PrimeWay deliver faster service, stronger security, and more meaningful member relationships.
HOUSTON, Texas – Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. Every week seems to bring another headline about the newest tool, the latest breakthrough, or the future of banking.
But at PrimeWay, innovation has never been about chasing the next trend. It's about making life a little easier for the people who trust us with some of life's biggest moments.
Buying a first home. Paying for college. Recovering from fraud. Planning for retirement.
Helping members through those moments has always mattered more than simply adopting the latest technology. That's why every innovation at PrimeWay begins with one simple question:
How can we better serve our members?
That question has shaped a culture where technology is never the destination; it's the tool. Whether helping members get answers in seconds through artificial intelligence or protecting them from increasingly sophisticated fraud, every innovation has the same purpose: making banking easier, safer, and more personal.
"Our members trust us with some of the most important financial decisions they'll ever make," said Kevin Hillendahl, Senior Vice President of Business Intelligence and Analytics. "That means every investment we make in technology has to solve a meaningful problem. Innovation only matters if it creates a better experience for our members and helps our employees serve them more effectively."
That philosophy has done more than improve the member experience. It has also earned PrimeWay national recognition for innovation in both artificial intelligence and fraud prevention, proving that when you focus on solving real problems, meaningful results follow.
Banking Shouldn't Feel Like Waiting
Anyone who's ever needed their financial institution after hours knows the feeling. Sometimes a question can't wait until morning. PrimeWay believed members deserved better.
In December 2025, the credit union launched CAREY, its AI-powered virtual voice assistant, giving members immediate access to routine banking assistance 24 hours a day. Whether checking account balances, transferring funds, locating a branch, or answering product questions, CAREY helps members get the information they need while allowing employees to spend more time where they make the greatest difference, guiding members through important financial decisions and providing personalized support when it matters most.
Since launching, CAREY has supported more than 69,500 member sessions, successfully resolved more than 62 percent of interactions without requiring assistance from a live representative, and achieved an impressive 96 percent accuracy rate.
Those results positioned PrimeWay as a leader in conversational AI, earning the credit union the inaugural Eltropy Emerge Excellence Accuracy Ace Award, recognizing one of the industry's highest-performing AI implementations.
"AI isn't replacing people," said Andy Rodriguez, Director of the Virtual Retail Center at PrimeWay. "It's helping us serve our members better. By handling routine questions quickly and accurately, our employees have more time to help members through complex financial decisions, fraud concerns, disputes, and the conversations where relationships truly matter."
CAREY may answer questions in seconds today, but building that experience took years. Before the first member ever interacted with the virtual assistant, PrimeWay spent nearly two years identifying where artificial intelligence could create meaningful value. Once development began, another nine months were dedicated to building a comprehensive knowledge base, testing hundreds of real-world scenarios, and refining every interaction.
Because trust isn't built by launching technology. It's built by getting it right.
Protecting More Than Accounts
Making banking easier is only part of the story. Making banking safer is just as important.
Every day, fraudsters become more sophisticated. Financial institutions have to become even smarter.
Rather than waiting for fraud to happen, PrimeWay developed a proactive monitoring solution that identifies suspicious account activity before criminals have the opportunity to move money from a member's account. When warning signs appear, the system immediately helps secure the account while employees verify the member's identity and safely restore access.
The impact has been remarkable. PrimeWay reduced account takeover losses by 90 percent and recorded zero account takeover losses during the month of April.
Those results earned the credit union Corelation's prestigious Golden Key Award, recognizing innovative solutions that push the industry forward. PrimeWay was also selected to present its fraud prevention strategy at the annual Corelation Conference, sharing lessons learned with credit union leaders from across the country.
For Chief Information Officer Bob Morgan, however, the recognition represents something even bigger than an award. It represents an opportunity to help protect more people.
"Every fraudulent transaction we prevent represents more than dollars saved," Morgan said. "It represents a member who can continue moving forward with confidence, knowing their financial institution is working proactively to protect them."
Innovation Is a Team Sport
The best ideas rarely come from one person. Or even one department. At PrimeWay, innovation is a team effort.
Technology leaders work alongside experts in operations, marketing, risk management, legal, compliance, human resources, and member service to ensure every new solution is thoughtful, responsible, and designed with members in mind.
That collaborative mindset extends beyond the credit union itself. Through HubSpot's Strategic Accounts Program, PrimeWay is invited to participate in beta testing opportunities, giving employees early access to new features while providing feedback that helps shape future platform enhancements before they're released to organizations around the world.
Rather than simply adopting technology, PrimeWay helps improve it.
Digital Marketing Manager Laurie Masera Garza believes innovation doesn't happen because organizations chase every new trend. It happens because they're willing to stay curious, embrace feedback, and build strong partnerships.
"Change and growth are very important," Masera Garza said. "Finding a partner that feels the same way will help you be more innovative."
She also believes some of the best innovations begin small. Instead of rolling out major initiatives all at once, PrimeWay frequently starts with pilot programs that allow teams to test ideas, gather feedback, make improvements, and build confidence before expanding successful solutions across the organization.
Because innovation isn't about getting everything perfect the first time. It's about never stopping the process of making things better.
Innovation Will Keep Changing. Our Purpose Won't.
Technology will continue to evolve. Artificial intelligence will become smarter. Fraud will become more sophisticated.
PrimeWay expects all of that. What won't change is the reason behind every innovation. Helping people.
Because at the end of the day, members don't remember the technology. They remember how their financial institution made them feel. The reassurance during a stressful moment. The quick answer when they needed help. The fraud that never reached their account. The confidence that someone was looking out for them.
That's the kind of innovation PrimeWay is committed to building. Not because technology demands it. Because members deserve it.
For comments or quotes, please contact Jacqueline Espinoza at jespinoza@primewayfcu.com or 713-799-6338.